The Other Side of Silence by Joan M. Drury

Jen is an absolutely wonderful character with a mindset all her own. Take note that the series is so filled with rough sex that it borders on BDSM, but Fox is probably the smartest writer in the bunch. I list it instead of the first two because it takes some time to get to know Jen and figure out what the author is up to. This is the third and (so far) last book in the Jen Madden series. Delightful and fun and more than a little silly.ĭeath Takes a Hike, by Peta Fox. Probably not the most literary read on the list, but certainly one of the most enjoyable, with its parody of the Cherry Ames and Nancy Drew girls’ series books of the mid-20th century.

The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse, by Mabel Maney. It is also the book in which Kate meets the person she will live with for most of the rest of the series. There are many good novels in Forrest’s Kate Delafield series, but this one, with its motif of Hollywood persecution during the McCarthy era, is probably the most important. (Titles are linked to full reviews, covers are linked to Amazon pages.) And remember that the books on this list are my personal favorites-someone else’s list might be quite different. They range from the highly literary to the pure and simple whodunit. The list is in alphabetical order-there is no first, second, or third. Protagonists can be private investigators, law enforcement officers, or amateur detectives of any profession as long as they are not werewolves, vampires, or other superhumans.įor those of you who don’t want to wade through the thousand plus titles, the following list is an introductory guide to some of the best books in the genre. That’s just about it, although the best of these offer a glimpse into some interesting aspect of the lesbian lifestyle. Second, the main character must investigate a crime or solve a mystery or puzzle that is central to the story line. First, of course, the main character must be a lesbian or bisexual woman in a same-sex relationship. Let’s go ahead and define a lesbian mystery. That’s a shame, because some of them are wonderfully written, exciting, educational, sexy, emotionally satisfying, and yes, important. Did you know that there are over 1000 lesbian mystery titles? Or that there are over 250 authors of lesbian mysteries, more than 95 percent of whom are still alive and writing? It’s true, but many readers-probably most readers-have never read a single book in the lesbian mystery genre.

The Other Side of Silence by Joan M. Drury